On the Edge of Forever
by Macx
Summary: movie-fic. When Tony Stark uses his Allspark-given space bridging abilities, he draws power from Rodimus Prime. Sometimes too much. Sadly, when he tries to undo what connects them together, he kicks loose a flood of events... Imperfection 'verse
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: On the Edge of Forever (at the start of whatever)*  
>SERIES: Imperfection Deviation<br>AUTHOR: Macx  
>RATING: PG-13<br>DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belong to me, sadly. They are owned by people with a lot more money :)  
>FEEDBACK: Loved<p>

I blame this fic on: my vacation in Ireland (my mind goes on vacation as well…), and listening to three specific songs that really put me in the mood. Listening loudly. In my car. I'm not saying which ones.

* Story title shamelessly plucked from The Flood by Take That.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Anthony Edward Stark was a genius.

He was brilliant, he was charming, he was suave. He had money to burn, he could have everything he wanted. He was the CEO of an international company.

He was Iron Man.

He had Extremis.

His mind was impossible to match with the addition of the nano virus hybrid.

Sometimes… just sometimes… his mind was a scary place even to him. Sometimes… the genius met the insanity and things happened. Sometimes his hard-headedness came into play when he couldn't solve a problem.

When it involved Cybertronian technology, he was a dog with a bone. He wouldn't let go, no matter what. He would dig in his heels, latch onto the problem and he would try to solve whatever was giving him a headache.

The fact that the problem involved bridging space, opening portals and actually teleporting by alien means turned it into even more of a challenge to Tony.

He was supposed to be able to do this. It was his freaking gift and ability! According to the long-dead Primes he should master this.

Right! What he could do was jump short distances, but he couldn't do it on his own. He needed an energy boost to use the long-distance gates, which meant tapping into Rodimus Prime's spark. Tony had to find a solution and whoever knew him also knew that there was no stopping him when he was like this.

Except when he was stopped by himself.

When he made a mistake.

And he made it.

A mistake that nearly cost too much.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Rodimus Prime was on his way to meet with Optimus when it happened. The young Prime was just stepping into the conference room that was adjoining to the Autobot leader's main office at Nevada, nodding a greeting at his fellow Prime. First there was a strange tingling along his spark circuits, then a searing pain that let him stiffen, his optics suddenly glowing brightly, and then the blackness hit. Rodimus screamed in agony, clutching his chest, his spark, circuits exploding into pain, glowing and sizzling. He went to his knees, his world shrinking down to a very small part, a black part inside of him, which was steadily growing.

At least he thought he did all that. In reality he had frozen and appeared statue-like. All sensations were in his spark alone.

Someone grabbed his arm, but he didn't respond, and neither to the voice ringing urgently in his audio receptors. All he was focused on was a small spark in the blackness, flickering and dying, then coming back to life again.

::TONY!::

The mental scream echoed through the ever larger growing void and reached the little spark, which flickered again.

::Don't do this!::

Rodimus reached out and enveloped it with his own life force, trying to keep it alive.

::No! Tony! Don't!::

_Stay!_

He felt his friend close to him, so close, but leaving...

Far away... going even further…

_Stay! Cybertron's Pits, no! _

Rodimus concentrated on Tony with everything he had, trying to pull him back from whatever was pulling at him.

::Tony, stop it! STOP!::

_Stay with me! Hold onto me!_

His own spark whined under the strain and pressure, being pushed and pulled into every which direction.

_Don't go!_

The world outside ceased to exist for him.

There was only Tony and the increasing difficulty his friend and charge had in holding on to himself. Something violently tore into Rodimus and he cried out, but he refused to let go.

_Stay…_

And then the sensation increased, having him literally jump after Stark and grab him in one violent move, throwing everything he had around the other presence.

_…stay…_

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

The office was located on level -1, which was two levels down from the massive above-ground structure that had once been a military base. It had been abandoned for a long time when the Autobots had been given this place as their new base shortly after the Mission City battle. A lot had been changed since then, a lot of levels had been dug underground, and the base was only superficially still old and abandoned. It was the entrance to a huge, futuristic place that the mechs had constructed as close to what had been their home back on Cybertron as possible.

Optimus Prime had chosen an office space close to the surface. While he had an immediate view of the hangar and the outside through the video surveillance system, he also wanted to be on site as quickly as possible, just in case.

Right now, that was farthest from his mind. He was going through reports, reading up on the latest developments, was assessing data that had come in from the _Ark_or the probes across the solar system, and so on. Rodimus was taking a load off his desk already, but there was still a lot that he hadn't had to handle in so long. The war and the loss of the Allspark had changed his duties. He had almost forgotten how mind-numbing this kind of routine could be.

Then again, it was a welcome routine. No death tolls, no files on Decepticon attacks… just normal things. Day-to-day bureaucracy and juggling their still hidden presence on this planet with the necessity of operating in the humans' world.

What wasn't routine was his silent watcher. Sam Witwicky, his fellow Prime, good friend, and the only technopath he knew of, sat on one of the side boards, eyes closed. He looked relaxed until one gave him a closer look. Then he could see the fine lines of tension around his eyes.

He wasn't meditating.

Actually, Sam was working, too.

On his technopathic abilities.

Optimus let him and tried not to think too much of the human in his office. Sam's aim was to get into the older Prime's mind without him feeling it and gathering information. It wasn't an easy task and it also wasn't the first time he attempted it. The first few times had landed Sam in med bay and Ratchet had read him the riot act. The medic called it foolish and idiotic, and a few other choice words.

Sam called it necessary. Optimus agreed.

Their young human Prime needed to handle his powers. Barricade couldn't be the only teacher any more. The shock trooper had done them an enormous favor by training Sam as hard and relentlessly as he had and still did, but Sam knew the former Decepticon too well by now.

"I can walk through his walls and enter every dark corner of his mind," he had told Optimus. "Barricade will deny it, but I know his spark just as well as I know Bumblebee's. I need a change. I need variation."

So he had started to work with Autobots who were willing to let a technopath try and look into their minds and sparks.

Optimus Prime was apparently one of the biggest challenges Sam had ever taken on. By now, six months into these training sessions, the Autobot leader knew technopath first aid – which mainly consisted of calling either Bumblebee or Barricade and keeping a stash of sweets.

A muscle twitched in Sam's face and he tilted his head a little, looking almost quizzical. Optimus felt nothing, but that was the whole aim of this operation: for Sam to get into a memory and Prime not noticing.

Suddenly he pulled back, his head swiveling to the entrance door. Optimus smiled as he felt the familiar presence of Rodimus Prime approach, unconsciously making himself known to his fellow Primes. While it didn't register with the non-technopathic human Primes – Will Lennox and Tony Stark - Optimus was keenly aware of the younger mech.

"Op…" Sam started, looking very pale. "Something's…"

Rodimus stepped into the office and suddenly froze. Blue optics turned impossible white-blue and then went dead.

"…wrong…" Sam breathed.

tbc...

Um, yeah, I'm in a hurt/comfort mood... big time! So be warned...


	2. Chapter 2

Tony was glad to have Extremis. The nano virus enabled him to work complicated equations in the back of his mind while he attended functions, meetings, speeches, charity events and the occasional casino or hotel opening. He could hold perfectly normal conversations while part of his brain was going through tech specs, held email conversations with Hook or Scavenger, or scanned over his Cybertronian email account.

By the time he was done with his 'day job', his mind was ready to explore his extracurricular activities and Jarvis had what he needed ready for him.

"It's good to know I'm still needed, sir," the AI remarked when Tony walked into his garage work shop.

He grinned. "You're always needed, Jarvis. Talking to myself is rather one-sided."

"Noted, sir."

"Pull up the map."

A three-dimensional projection appeared, vaguely spherical, littered with dots. It was Tony's mind-map come to life of the space bridge portals he had been able to identify – and ones he could reach. Cybertronian texts he had found in the thin archives aboard the Ark had told the billionaire that the ancient Cybertronians had been able to jump wherever they wanted to, without the help of the cracks he could visualize. It was his next great goal.

Not reaching Cybertron. No, that was still too big to achieve, even for him. He had had to make that confession to himself. Reaching a place that was lost inside a reality bubble could kill him and Rodimus Prime, so it was out of the question.

At least until Tony could figure out a way to make the jump himself, without depleting his guardian and friend, and killing himself in the process.

Curiously, no other Cybertronian seemed to fit the description of 'live battery' than Roddy. He had made jumps with the others around and none had felt a thing. Rodimus could feel each little step he made. The moment he entered one of the cracks, the portals, the young Prime could tell.

It was confusing and scary in one.

So Tony stuck to figuring out how to stop the connection or to shield his friend from the negative effects. He hadn't been very successful so far.

Looking at the map, Tony scrolled through the equations he had typed to one side, then discarded them all into the bin to be recycled.

"Jarvis, remove the map and give me the specs of the arc reactor, the Extremis and the new hybrid interface for the Ghost engines."

"Yes, sir."

The required items flared up around him, surrounding Tony and bathed him in a bluish light.

Time to get to work.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Optimus Prime had been just fast enough to stop his young friend and fellow Prime from crashing down onto the ground. From one second to the next Rodimus' optics had flared as if in pain, then their light had gone out and all life had left the smaller form. Optimus felt something tug at his spark, but it wasn't what humans would call sympathetic pain or fear. It was a very real feeling, something racing through him with only a fraction of the power it really carried.  
>And the older Prime knew just where it had come from.<p>

Ever since the other Prime had been revealed to him, Optimus had felt the connection to Rodimus, like an afterthought, like a faint echo, like a distant hum. It was nothing even close to what one could call a bond. It had nothing of that kind of connection; it was something that existed between Primes. There had never been a fellow Prime of his power and position in his life-time. Megatron had been Lord Protector and completely different.

Rodimus Prime was a descendant of the Dynasty and with it closer to Optimus than anyone had ever been. None of the human Primes registered with that strength and while they all had different abilities, they didn't connect to either of the two Cybertronian Primes – though Optimus had wondered about Rodimus and Tony Stark. Ever since Extremis had been added to Stark's system by accident, the mental connection was there. That had further developed into a strange sense of knowing when Tony used the space bridge ability.

Now Optimus was suddenly keenly aware of the human Prime connected to Rodimus, felt him stretch himself thin, flailing, getting pulled away. Rodimus was holding on, trying to keep him from sliding away, and Optimus did the only thing he could: he held on, too. Anchoring the anchor.

_Stay… Tony, stay with me…_

There was a groan echoing between the three minds, like something straining way past its limit, then suddenly Tony was right there. Optimus was briefly privy to the sensation of a human mind next to his spark, then it collapsed and fell away, immediately enveloped by Rodimus' presence.

The older Prime pulled back, rattled, feeling his systems shake. His energy levels were still within regular limits and he hadn't overtaxed himself, but the ripples this moment had caused in his spark were enormous.

The implication was enormous.

He felt programs sputter to life that he had never known. Something booted and while his systems didn't recognize the new program, they also didn't see it as a virus. It belonged; it was part of him.

Optimus shuddered.

Something scanned over him for a nano-second and he knew it had been Sam. The technopath had instinctively made sure the Autobot leader was fine before turning his intense scrutiny on Rodimus.

Ratchet stormed into the conference room, optics flaring in alarm as he discovered the off-lined mech in Optimus' arms.

"What happened?" he demanded sharply.

"I wish I could tell you, Ratchet," the Autobot leader answered truthfully. "He simply off-lined. I suspect a connection to Tony, though. I tried calling him and there was no answer."

And usually there was. Tony had incredible multi-tasking abilities thanks to the nano virus hybrid.

"Call Jarvis," Ratchet said, already scanning the other Prime.

Optimus nodded, leaving Rodimus in the capable hands of their chief medic who now turned to Sam for his version of the events, which hadn't lasted more than twenty seconds.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Knowing where he connected to Rodimus was one of the main problems for Tony. It wasn't a physical connection. It wasn't a program. It was or had been created by the Allspark and that made it so much more difficult. It was a mixture of Extremis and the changes it had wrought on his body, coupled with the weird and never-truly-explored radiation of the Allspark shard Lennox had absorbed so long ago. Part of that radiation had been used by Sector Seven all those decades ago on various mechanical objects. It had been copied to a degree, but never understood. They had done things and never known why this happened and that didn't. They had been kids playing with adult technology – and failing. They had also shown a close to criminal negligence when it came to their scientific experimentation methods.

Tony had tried different ways to shield his guardian from the sensation of the opening portals, but nothing he had tried had led to any real success. So he had turned his attention to the unwanted effect of pulling energy from Rodimus' spark. He should theoretically be able to sustain his jump through the arc reactor alone.

That series of tests had led to more success as he managed longer distances without coming even close to accessing outside sources, namely Rodimus. Each time he tried a new jump, always to the same destination, he watched closely where the Extremis might try and latch onto the mech spark. With every repetition Tony thought he came close to understanding where the connection was formed and at what moment.

The files he kept on his abilities and the space bridge were growing. He tried to understand the physics behind what he could do and his mind was coming to its limits in that regard. Long conversations with Hook and Scavenger, who had extensively researched space bridges as well, led to more headaches than answers. Tony wanted to understand every step, every equation, every effect, but he couldn't

Because the mechs didn't understand it all either. It was a lost ability, one no one but him had demonstrated before. There had been rumors throughout the war that a Decepticon had teleportation powers, but they had never been confirmed. Seekers had been jumpers, Hook had told him. But the Seekers they had encountered hadn't teleported in any way. Never.

So it was a mystery.

Tony Stark hated mysteries and he wanted this one solved.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

The first time he intervened in the automatic pull of power from Rodimus was when he jumped further than the _Ark_. It was an almost desperate act when he lashed out and pulled Extremis back. It was like reigning in a wild horse that wanted to run. It left him dizzy and floating in space, far from Earth, winded and shaking. The arc reactor had enough power left to bring him home, but Extremis tried to reach for Rodimus again, and again he stopped it.

It was an experience that had him crash and sleep for eight hours straight, then mainline coffee for the whole afternoon until he was coherent. Somehow he had made it through a telephone conference with Japan.

But it had worked.

Hot damn, it had worked.

It was the beginning of an insane stretch of work that ran parallel to his day job as the CEO of Stark Industries, which demanded a lot of him as well. Mostly because SI was introducing a new line of 'green' power generators and Tony had invested heavily into a new branch of SI called Tomorrow, which had, despite all the heavy criticism and mockery, painted a winning streak across the global stock exchanges within three years. His products were selling like crazy and they were, among being hybrid technology, the only ones on the market that were completely eco-friendly. That he had also funded the first complete solar power energy plant that could easily supply a city with a population of half a million had given him so much good credit world-wide, his karma points were through the roof.

It also had him in great demand when it came to talk shows, science discussion and conferences, and charities.

So sleep was a luxury right now. Thanks to Extremis he could compensate.

"Don't you believe that sleep is a human requirement, sir?" Jarvis asked after another long night.

"Jarvis, shut up!"

There was a brief silence, then, "Please don't do that, sir."

"Do what?"

"Kill yourself to prove yourself."

Tony was momentarily stunned, then mentally braced himself. "I'm not suicidal, Jarvis, don't worry."

"Sir…"

No, he wasn't suicidal. He had too much to live for. He wasn't the Tony Stark of before. Too much had changed; too much depended on him.

Then why did he take foolish risks?

There was no logical answer; it was purely emotional. Wounded pride at facing a problem even his genius couldn't solve. Stubbornness meeting a hard place, a mathematical challenge of alien proportions. Insanity peeking past his façade.

And so he made a mistake.

A critical mistake.

A miscalculation the moment he jumped through a portal and belatedly realized that it wasn't the one had been aiming at.

Desperately Tony tried to move back, but he had already initiated the jump and the one fraction of a second it took to cross the distance was the time frame he had no control over the process.

He barely had time to think 'no!' when Extremis did the only thing to save him from getting lost: it tapped into the anchor.

Tony screamed his denial when he realized that he had automatically latched onto Rodimus Prime's presence, his spark, and was hauling himself out of the portal.

_Stay!_

He was quickly draining his back-up battery, his anchor line to safety, and he couldn't stop it.

_Stay with me, Tony._

Incomplete, something echoed through him. Incomplete. Incomplete…

He cried in denial again when he realized that Roddy was aware of his perilous jump and was actively pulling him out.

::Let go!:: he screamed.

Incomplete, the strange voice insisted. It sounded almost like those meddling Primes…

Rodimus didn't let go.

_Don't go._

Something else flared up behind his guardian, strong and unrelenting. It was immensely powerful and older than Roddy, but also familiar.

Incomplete…

_Stay, Tony._

The presence combined with Rodimus' spark held him, pulled him away. Tony was flung forward and away from the crack.

Incompl…

The world whited out briefly.

Incom…

Everything grew distant, the sounds muted.

..plete…

…complete…

The moment before impact he briefly thanked instinct that he had been wearing the Iron Man armor, then he smacked into a wall and everything went dark.

tbc...


	3. Chapter 3

Due to a business trip I didn't have internet access. The hotel wanted WAY too much for one hour of WiFi access. No thanks. Sorry for the wait :)

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"His spark is in complete stasis lock," Ratchet said, a misgiving tone to his voice. "Whatever he did in that brief moment, it depleted him and his spark saw it as the only alternative. Until he has recovered, the automatic lock won't come off. Which is the best that can happen right now. He needs to recharge and that will take a while."

Optimus nodded slowly. He was aware of what a stasis lock to a spark meant. It was a serious condition and one he had encountered throughout the war too often. Sometimes a mech couldn't recover at all and the spark died anyway.

He tore his thoughts away from that option. Rodimus felt strong, despite the depletion, and he knew his young friend would recover quickly.

"As for Tony, I believe he is suffering something similar, simply in human terms," Ratchet went on, optics straying to the motionless figure of Iron Man.

Tony was still in his full battle gear and without force they wouldn't be able to get the armor off him. The human medical team, together with Jarvis who was thankfully part of the Iron Man package, had determined that the armor sustained him perfectly and he was not physically injured. The arc reactor was recovering and Extremis, while suffering from the effects as well, was slowly regaining its strength as well.

"He is in a coma induced by Extremis to lessen the stress on his organic systems," the medic added. "Without Extremis fully online Jarvis can't override the controls to the armor and get it off without damaging it. As a last resort he can destroy the systems and it will fall off, but unless Mr. Stark is in danger, we won't force Jarvis into the decision."

"He won't let anything happen to Tony," Optimus agreed.

Ratchet nodded. "What we know from Jarvis' memories this was a jump gone very bad, and while Tony tried to stop Extremis from anchoring into Rodimus Prime, it happened. This is the result."

Optimus knew how grave this was and how unusual. If Tony's ability to jump and use the ancient Cybertronian space bridge programs in him resulted in this each time, it wasn't really an asset. It was close to fatal. But Stark had successfully jumped time and again in the past, even as far as the Ark and a few planets beyond that in the Solar System. He had been utterly careful not to involve Rodimus.

So what had gone wrong?

"I sent Jarvis' data to Hook and Scavenger," Ratchet answered when the older Prime asked the question out loud. "They are going to analyze the files and get back to you."

"Thank you."

Optimus remained at the recharge bed when Ratchet retreated out of the ITR, the Isolation Treatment Room, gazing at his younger colleague. His sense of Rodimus was still there and it was strong. Rodimus was strong.

What this second near-depletion had done to the connection between Tony and his guardian was another matter, though. It was nothing anyone could grasp or scan. It was a bond that wasn't a bond. It was a connection no one had had before. It was between a human mind and a Cybertronian spark, but unlike what Sam or Will shared with their partners. Literally shared.

Prime smiled a little to himself. No, this was different and still sometimes almost alike.

Hopefully nothing had been shattered or strained beyond repair.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Tony felt like he had been run over by a tank. Or two. Maybe even more. It was close to being stepped on by a mech, he mused. Not that anyone had truly ever stepped on him, but he had been in a few simulation battles and training exercises with the Constructicons and those guys truly packed a punch. He understood why Lennox liked to go up against them. It wasn't his masochistic streak. Then again, maybe it was. But it also helped in getting the hang of evading not-so-friendly fire that could punch him out or obliterate him.

So what had run into him?

"You did it yourself."

He looked around and groaned when he discovered Roddy. His baby-sitter sat on the ground, regarding him calmly.

"You overtaxed your systems. Jumping," the other Prime added with a verbal poke.

"I didn't try to jump to Cybertron," Tony grumbled.

"You were tired and had been going on coffee and determination and you miscalculated," Roddy said.

"I didn't…!" He stopped.

He had done all that, but Tony had worked with less sleep and a lot longer on other problems, too. But then… this was Cybertronian tech mixed with Allspark, and the damn thing was rather sensitive, it seemed. Tony Stark had underestimated the potential of this mysteries power source and he had nearly paid the price.

They all would have, he corrected himself.

"Okay, so I made a mistake."

"And you insanely thought you could find my homeworld."

"No. Yes. Not really."

It had been a pet project. A little something to occupy the time he sometimes had, hovering in limbo between actual projects, between meetings, and when he wasn't determined to find an alternative to Rodimus Prime's new position as an anchor. He hadn't spent that much time on it because he lacked time.

But he had been tired. Over-caffeinated. His mind had been bordering to insanity. And when he had mis-stepped throughout jumping, he had gone the wrong way. Down a dangerous road. Without precautions.

Rodimus had suffered for it.

Tony met the knowing blue optics. "Sorry," he murmured.

"It was your fault," Rodimus agreed.

"This is the time you say that it is okay and you forgive me," he grumbled.

But it wasn't okay. He could have killed his friend.

From the look he was given, Roddy was aware of his train of thought and let him run with it for now.

Tony sighed heavily and shook his head in disgust at himself.

"Okay. It's not okay. I'm sorry, Roddy. Really. I know I should listen and I know I never do."

"Because that's you. You're used to being on your own, used to no one really arguing much against you, and even if they do: you'll get your way. You never hurt anyone but yourself in the past."

Tony felt like he needed a stiff drink right now.

"But now you will hurt someone else. Not just me, Tony," Rodimus insisted. "You have a responsibility that's greater than this."

"Because I'm a Prime?"

The blue optics said it all.

Tony felt a twinge in his chest and something seemed to hum through his body. He momentarily faltered, his knees going week.

When he opened his eyes he found he was inside the familiar Audi R8.

"What…?" he muttered.

"You're still recovering."

"From what?"

"You didn't just deplete me. You also used up a lot of your own reserves. Extremis shut down."

Panic spread through him. "What?"

"It's okay."

"It isn't!"

::"Tony."::

One word. His name. And it sounded in his ears and through his brain at the same time.

::We're recovering:: Roddy said softly.

And for the first time since he had woken, Tony became aware that there was nothing beyond him and the R8. Nothing at all. Just them.

"Where are we?" he whispered, shocked.

"Where do you feel we are?"

Feel?

Feel…

Tony closed his eyes as realization hit him like a ton of bricks on top of the tank that had already rolled over him.

He wasn't awake.

He wasn't even talking.

He was… they were…

"How the hell did that happen?" he managed, mind whirling.

"I believe the stress of anchoring you so abruptly forced this connection to strengthen beyond what was required in the past. Right now…" Rodimus hesitated. "I'm not sure how to cut it."

Tony abruptly pushed the car door open and almost fled from the interior of the racer. He was pale, shaking, mind whirling.

"No!" he finally hissed. "No way! We're not bonding!"

Rodimus transformed and knelt down. "I didn't say we were. I said the connection we already have has strengthened. Right now we're sharing this place."

Tony's eyes shot daggers at him. "We're not sharing!"

Rodimus chuckled. "Not that kind of sharing."

"And I'm not going to have sex with you!"

Now the mech laughed out loud, optics dancing with amusement.

"This isn't funny, you oversized tin can! I know what happened with Lennox!" Tony flung out his arms. "And then there's Sam! This thing has a tendency to end up as having sex with one of you! I'm not interested!"

Rodimus laughed again, shaking his head. "Tony, just because we share it doesn't mean we're automatically bonded."

"But it happens!"

"Neither Ironhide nor Bumblebee is a Prime."

"So?" he snarled.

"The connection is between Primes, Tony. I can feel Optimus to a degree, too. It's different because we're mechanoid life forms. You are human."

"Thank you for noticing!"

"It's hard not to."

Tony glared. Roddy just grinned.

"Tony, this isn't a bond. Believe me, I'd know. My kind doesn't just bond. It's not a regular occasion. We share among willing partners, but everything else is a rare occurrence. Especially when it comes to interspecies relationships."

"How many have you had?" Tony asked coolly.

"None."

"So you aren't an expert."

"If I had bonded, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Bonds are unique, possible with only one other mech. Jazz and Barricade are the only ones I know."

"We're connected, but not bonded?"

"Yep."

Another glare. Roddy smiled more.

"Tony, relax. We're not going to join the exclusive club."

"Sure?"

The mech leaned forward. "Very."

"It's a Prime thing?"

Roddy nodded.

Tony chewed on his lower lip, thinking. "Between the two of us or can anyone join in?"

"I believe this is between us. You said you only anchored to me. It's probably the result of your uncontrolled jump."

"Which I said I'm sorry about," Tony grumbled.

"But which you'd repeat if you had the chance."

Stark was silent, then shook his head. "I don't want to pull you into this, Roddy. It's my ability. I should be able to work it without hurting anyone else. Anchor or no anchor, I'm not going to use you every time I jump long distance."

"You're not using me, Tony."

Anger flared and ran through him. "I am! Don't you even start making this look all fun and roses! I could kill you, you moron!"

"I know that. And you could kill yourself."

"Are you even listening to me?"

"I can't but listen. You yell loudly."

"But your audio receptors seem to be blocked! I could KILL you, Rodimus Prime!"

"And I'm very much aware of this, Anthony Edward Stark."

"Don't get smart with me!"

Rodimus leaned forward again, meeting the irate eyes. "I know what I'm into, Tony. I felt it twice already. It's not my favorite experience. What I want you to understand is that your experiments have consequences. Not a blown-up lab or bruises. Not an irate Pepper Potts or some bad press in a even worse newspaper. We're talking about two lives. Yours and mine, Tony."

The human Prime was silent, then averted his eyes.

"You matter, Tony," Roddy pushed on, playing his most potent card. "You matter to us. To me. You're my friend. You're a Prime."

Tony looked like he wanted to say something, then snapped his mouth shut and shook his head.

"Tony?"

He looked into the blue optics of a mech so much older than him and still young in his own people's eyes.

"Please promise me to think before you leap. I know you want to understand this. So do we all. I know you want to find Cybertron again. I would want to know if my home planet is still viable, is still really there. But the price is too high."

"Yeah," Tony murmured softly.

"Tony?"

He shrugged. "I promise."

"We need to train this," Rodimus added. "I'm willing to help you. I'm willing to take part in your experimental jumps. We can find a way to make this work. It should involve Hook, Scavenger and Ratchet, too. Or Perceptor and Wheeljack."

"And you think I blow stuff up?" Tony exclaimed, a sparkle in his eyes.

"Not Wheeljack then," Roddy agreed with a smirk.

"He's a genius in his own right. I think he should consult." Tony stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked at the nothingness they were in. "How long till we separate?" he asked without looking at his fellow Prime.

"We both need to recharge and recover. My spark apparently went into stasis lock."

Tony's head whipped around and he stared at the mech. "What? How do you know?" he demanded.

"I feel it." At Tony's demanding stared he added, "It's a general weakness. I'm tired."

"Then why are we even talking?"

"Because this had to be said."

Tony threw up his hands. "When did you become such a saint and martyr, Roddy?"

"When I was assigned as your guardian, Tony."

"Smart ass."

"Nerd."

Tony laughed. "I've been called worse, you hyped-up toaster!"

"I think I can come up with a few worse words."

"Access to a thesaurus helps."

"There's that."

Tony sat down, then flopped back with his arms crossed under his head, looking at… nothing. "So… now what?"

"We recover."

Silence descended. Finally,

"I'm bored," Stark announced.

"You would be."

"I'm not a mech, Roddy. I can't just shut down."

"You could shut up and close your eyes, let your body get some rest to heal."

"Pushy, pushy nanny."

But he did feel tired. He felt it now. A heavy feeling was spreading through his limbs. Tony tried to fight the pull, but he finally succumbed. Not without the suspicion that this was Roddy's work.

::I hate you:: he growled when he felt a positive echo.

::Sure you do.::

And then he was asleep.

tbc... 


	4. Chapter 4

Sam was in the ITR, looking at Rodimus Prime. He seemed to be completely off-line, but appearances were deceiving. The technopath felt the pulses coming from the strong spark. It might be in a stasis lock, but something was happening. Now and then he caught little flickers, like cut-off words and sentences, and he thought he felt a distant lifeline running toward Tony Stark.

And something else.

A background hum and pulse that hadn't been there before. It was from Rodimus alone and it was something that was currently all over his systems.

Like it was all over Optimus', too.

"Can you tell me what changed?" the Autobot leader rumbled.

Sam turned his attention away from the other mech. "No," he answered truthfully, shaking his head. "It's nothing malevolent as far as I can tell. Like a program running through the paces. Like… a defrag program." He smiled apologetically at the bad comparison.

"I understand what you mean, Sam," Prime answered, inclining his head.

"What does it feel like for you?"

"The same," came the answer, accompanied by a smile.

Sam chuckled and looked back at Rodimus. "He's talking to Tony," he said, a bit absent-mindedly. "Can't hear anything, though."

Not that he was trying to pry either.

Sam yawned and Optimus leaned forward. "Get some rest, Sam. If something happens, I'll alert you."

The technopath hesitated, then nodded. "Okay."

Prime helped him off his high perch and set him carefully onto the ground, then Sam left the ITR, forcefully reigning in his scans. Rodimus felt okay and after some rest and recharge, he should be coming online naturally. It was time for him to get something to eat, a lot of coffee, and some downtime.

A silent offer from Bumblebee had him smile. Spending time with his partner sounded like a really good idea.

x x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x x

'…plete…'

"Huh?"

'…complete…'

Tony blinked and focused, then blinked again. Damn, where was he now?

Around him the world consisted of rocks and weird yellowish-white light and dusty ground. There was sand, but it didn't look like normal sand.

'…complete…'

"Who are you?" he demanded, turning around his own axis.

There was nothing. Just this deserted landscape that had a decidedly alien ring to it.

"Crap," Tony muttered.

"Bond complete."

This time the voice was real, not just a weird sounding echo.

"Bond? Oh, nononono!" he called, turning around and around, trying to find anyone here with him. "I'm not bonding or have bonded or ever will! Who are you? Show yourself!"

"Bond complete."

"Screw that! I haven't bonded! I'm not ever going to bond to a mech, do you understand me?"

Something big seemed to loom over him, but it wasn't a clear shape. Still, Tony had this feeling…

"Fuck," he breathed.

Primes. The ancient Primes who had suddenly taken an interest in developments again. He knew they had made contact with Will times before, but now it seemed he was their target.

"Fuck!" he yelled. "Stop interfering with our lives! You're dead, understand? I'm not going to share a bond with anyone!"

"The bond was already there. Now it is complete. You will need it to apply your powers."

Tony stared. Hard. The figure wouldn't come into focus.

"You did this," he said tonelessly, anger boiling inside him.

"No. We can't influence your lives or abilities. We can only guide. You're human, Guardian Prime. To apply what you should be able to do you need one of the heirs to the Dynasty of Primes."

Tony hissed a curse.

"You were already forming the bond. You called it an anchor. You need Rodimus Prime to help you jump and stabilize your space bridge portals. The anchor bond is now complete. Now you only need to understand how to handle it."

"Fuck," Tony repeated again, voice tired all of a sudden.

He had had the choice between two direct heirs of the Dynasty: Optimus and Roddy. Roddy had been the unlucky choice of his. Just great…

"You are compatible," the Prime told him.

"Take a hike," Tony growled.

Suddenly the figure was right there, clear as daylight, six red optics gazing at him.

"Whoa! Yikes!" Tony exclaimed, back-pedaling.

"You," the Prime repeated, "are compatible. His spark is your anchor. Be aware of the dangers, Guardian Prime. Be aware of the potential."

One taloned finger pointed at the arc reactor underneath Tony's shirt.

"The Allspark's energy influenced the Extremis and it left you with your own power source. Endless and eternal."

"Spark," Tony whispered, mouth dry. "I have a spark?"

The ancient – dead! – Prime looked amused. "Not by our definition. It is your power core, though. It feeds you. It feeds back to Rodimus Prime. His own spark feeds you."

'…in sync…' something whispered.

_Shitshitshit_, ran endlessly through Tony's head.

"So I kill him if I go too far," he stated. "Way to go. Yay."

'…in sync…'

The Prime leaned closer. "You don't understand, Guardian Prime. You are in sync. You are one. You feed him, he feeds you. Should one spark be extinguished, the other will repower it."

"W-what?" Tony blurted. "What are you talking about?"

"You understand."

"I…no, I don't!"

The ancient Prime straightened. "Closed circle. Bond complete," he only said, then he was gone.

Just like that.

Tony glared at the empty spot, colorful curses running through his mind.

"Endless circle, my ass," he said harshly. "You can't DO this!"

And they hadn't. It had been something in the making for over two decades.

"I hate you!" he yelled furiously. "I really, really hate your dead, mechanical guts!"

_Mature, Tony_, he thought. _Very mature._

And of course he got no reply.

The desert landscape with the weird rock formation started to blur and he let it happen. He knew he couldn't fight it.

x x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x x

Coming on-line, rebooting his systems, had never been so hard. He felt like dragging himself out of a swamp. Rodimus Prime let his optics focus, then tried to sit up, which proved to be much easier than he had thought. As he looked around he discovered he wasn't alone in the isolation treatment room. Someone was sitting on the chair in front of the medical terminal, watching him. It was Optimus Prime.

Blue optics met and Rodimus felt the familiar echoing hum of their connection and it calmed him a little. More than he would ever let on.

"Welcome back," Optimus said softly.

From his internal clock the younger Prime knew that three days had passed, which spoke of the immense energy depletion that had threatened his spark.

And Tony.

"Tony!"

"He's fine, Rodimus. He woke up briefly and went right back to sleep thirty minutes before you went on-line."

"Okay." Relief mingled with the calming hum.

He also became aware of the dormant connection now, barely stirring as only one half of it was awake.

"Care to tell me what happened?"

Rodimus looked into the ancient optics. "An accident," he simply replied.

"Like the last time."

"Yes and no. Tony didn't try to jump long-distance. He was too tired to think straight and his mind wandered… the rest you saw."

Optimus inclined his head, but his expression didn't shift out of the worry mode. "This endangers us all, Rodimus."

"We talked about it. Tony won't continue on his own. We'll involve others and create a safety net. Op, we need to know what Tony can do. Sam had to push past his limits as well," he argued. "It's an ability we can't and won't ignore."

"I agree. But Sam's development wasn't in such leaps. It was also under controlled conditions and with two anchors."

Rodimus straightened a little more, feeling anger rise. "I can do this, Prime!" he said forcefully. "Sam voluntarily worked with Barricade and Bumblebee. Tony's been trying to do this solo, as he's used to. Like I said, we talked. I can do this. We can."

Optimus raised one hand, trying to ward off the anger. "I know you can. I trust you can reign him in."

Rodimus knew he had to interfere sooner, be more of a guardian than a watcher. Tony was no longer just hurting himself now. He was hurting the Dynasty of Primes.

::I know that:: a tired voice could be heard.

::Hey there, sleepy head::

Tony groaned. ::You're a morning person::

::I can start a day without an illegal amount of caffeine in my system.::

::You're a mechanical life form, my friend. I'd start to wonder if you wanted coffee::

::With the link, your cravings reflect::

::Ow, that sounds like a bad come-on::

Rodimus felt his friend's exhaustion despite the lively banter. ::You should sleep some more::

::I'm fine::

::Not. Sleep::

::How come you're up and at it already?:: Tony complained.

::Mechanical life form?:: Rodimus reminded him. ::We reboot. Despite all your claims, you're only human. Humans need sleep. Even Tony Stark::

::I love you, too:: There was a pause, then, ::In a purely friendly and platonic way::

::Sure:: Rodimus teased.

He caught sight of Optimus' amused expression.

"Tony's awake," he said, rather superfluously.

::Not much longer if I don't get my coffee!::

"And terrorizing the staff," Rodimus sighed.

::Am not!::

::Are::

"You'll have your hands full," Optimus said and rose. "Let your own systems rest."

Rodimus slipped off the treatment bed, which set off a beeping alarm. "Pits!" he groaned as Ratchet walked in, stride purposeful and no-nonsense. "I'm fine, Ratchet."

"That will be determined by myself. Now please sit back and let me check your systems."

Optimus smiled briefly, then gave his younger colleague a nod and walked out.

_Traitor_, Rodimus thought as he lay back again.

Tony's smirk was almost audible, but since the other was also being poked and prodded by the medical staff – who had insisted he send the armor into subspace and let them examine him – his amusement was short lived.

tbc...  
> <p>


	5. Chapter 5

Pepper Potts had been an angel sent by a higher deity, Tony mused. She had not only managed to make it look like Anthony Stark was down with a bad case of the flu, she had also more or less single-handedly dealt with all the demands of a CEO and his assistant for the past week. That she currently looked more like a hellbeast sent to tear him apart didn't stop Tony from being very much impressed. Pepper hadn't stopped at imitating him, his signature or his emails. She had essentially been Tony Stark for a week.

"I should retire and leave the company in your hands, Pepper."

"At least I wouldn't run it into the ground while following my selfish little need to prove I'm Mr. Invincible!" she snapped, glaring at him.

"It was an accident."

"It's always an accident," she replied, voice cold. "Because your sense of self-preservation has gone right out of the window again!"

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

It didn't get him the wished-for soft looks and a smile. If at all, Pepper's demeanor grew even colder.

"No shoes or dresses in the world can make this up, Tony. None at all!"

"How about a pay raise?"

"It's not always about money."

He sighed. "Okay, take time off. As long as you want. Go on a vacation. You deserve it."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I know what I deserve: a responsible boss. One who knows who he is in this world. You're leading a global company, Tony, not some backwater gear-head work-shop. Stark Industries is so much more now and you have so much more responsibilities. Not just to yourself; there is a whole alliance involved."

Tony sighed and looked at the ceiling. "I know, Pepper. I get The Talk on a daily basis. From Roddy."

"Then you should start listening."

"I have."

She looked at him in a way that reminded Tony of a stern school teacher. Finally she nodded.

"Good." Pepper dumped several files on his desk. "There's more in your inbox."

Tony groaned.

"You have a meeting with Dr. Tihagawa at two, dinner with Mrs. Elmas at six, and Broadside Enterprises has been requesting a tele-conference. I scheduled it for ten."

"Tonight?"

The narrow-eyed look at him stop whatever else he had wanted to say.

"That's all, Ms. Potts?" Tony asked sweetly instead.

"That's all, Mr. Stark," she replied.

Tony grinned. Pepper gave him a fraction of a smile, then turned and crisply walked out.

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Dealing with what had happened led Tony Stark down a road he hadn't travelled in a while. A long while. Not because he hadn't wanted to, but because he hadn't felt the necessity. Alcohol had been a part of him in the past, but with the changes the Autobots had brought, his life had turned around. Extremis had gifted him with a perfect health; new liver included.

Now that new liver was put to the test. Actually, it wasn't really a test. Extremis also didn't really let him get drunk. He was like Will in that regard; it just didn't happen.

So he enjoyed the quantities of alcohol and the company in the various establishments he graced with his presence. Young women changed places all the time, trying to get on his good side and into his wallet.

Tony didn't care.

Drinking didn't work its magic, so cheap, quick sex took its place. Not that it worked all that much either. It took the edge off, but it didn't solve the problem.

He had yet to tell Roddy about his little chat with the dead Primes and somehow he wasn't looking forward to sharing the news. Not at all. Roddy would be all understanding and Tony would be close to killing him for it. He wanted Rodimus Prime to lose it, to yell and scream and shout. Why was it always himself? Why did he have these problems?

Answer: he was human. He wasn't used to dead sparks talking to him, changing him, meddling in his life. He wasn't used to being half something else. Lennox was a hybrid in every sense of the word. Tony was… different.

He had Happy drive him home in the morning hours. He thumped his head back against the hideously expensive leather seat, staring at the car ceiling. Happy didn't say a word, just expertly navigated the early morning traffic until they were home.

"Go home," Stark told him.

It got him a nod and a worried look, but he waved his bodyguard and friend off. There was nothing Happy could say or do to help him.

Grabbing another bottle of high end champagne out of his special collection, Tony drank it without bothering for a glass. It was followed by whiskey.

Extremis wasn't all that bothered. It kept him stone-cold sober, even if he tuned it down or switched it off completely. You couldn't deactivate the virus; it was always there. His body was already altered.

"Fuck this," Tony growled and threw the bottle against the wall.

It splintered into a million pieces.

Stalking down into the garage, he tore off his jacket and shirt, then kicked off his shoes. The underarmor was already covering his skin and the red nodes glowed ominously. Tony glared at them as he called the armor out of subspace. It connected quickly and perfectly.

"Don't wait up for me, Jarvis."

"As you wish, sir," the AI replied.

"And stop with the condescending tone. It didn't work in the past when the alcohol still worked. It doesn't work now."

"If you say so, sir. Shall I just clean up your mess?"

Tony snarled and launched into the air.

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Taking the armor out for a spin was his way to relax, to let his mind go into that empty space where he didn't think much, where only his instincts worked, where he enjoyed the calmness and the silence. Tony cruised through the dark skies, rose higher up, let things fall behind. No worries, no thoughts. Nothing at all.

He should have done this earlier. No amount of booze or bed partners could give him this. Never.

Iron Man smiled to himself. He rolled onto his back, gazing up into the sky, at the stars above. His radar was running in the back, warning him whether or not he was crossing paths with another flying object, like a commercial passenger plane.

Still, some stray thoughts intervened.

Like this weird dream-like conversation with the ancient Primes. Tony had tried to chalk it up to a hallucination, but it hadn't been. He had been there, he had seen the huge, alien figure, and he had heard the words.

_Well, shit… _coursed through him.

He hadn't signed up for this. Roddy hadn't signed up for this!

Tony had never wanted to be a Prime. He had never wanted Extremis. It had all been an accident, but it felt like something… someone… had planned it, now that he had had The Talk. Lennox was prone to experiencing these weird dreams, but Tony had believed himself safe from it. He hadn't absorbed a part of the Allspark. He wasn't displaying runes. Sure, he had an underarmor that looked like someone had taken a few pointers from the Cybertronian protoforms, but he hadn't looked like a mech ever. No runes.

There had been some, though. When Extremis had encased him in a cocoon to alter him.

Iron Man spun slowly in the air, arms outstretched. Clouds passed him by and he passed through some of them. He got a warning from the HUD that a tropical thunder storm was coming toward him a few miles off the shore. He briefly wondered if he should face it, then decided not to.

He changed course.

No, he hadn't looked for the position as Prime and so far he hadn't really had any changes to his life. He helped out where he could the way he was able to: with his money, his company and his power. He had never had to command anyone, nor did he have to lead the mechs.

But now… now he was suddenly a lot more entangled. With Roddy. With the whole Prime Dynasty thing.

Fuck…

Fuckfuckfuck!

Tony had always, always been only responsible for his own life. Of course his decisions could ruin his company and with it the shareholders and the people who worked for Stark Industries, but no decision he had made about his survival had ever influenced anyone that directly. That absolutely.

No, he hadn't signed up for it. He just had to live with the consequences of a lot of events playing together that had made him who he was right now.

Guardian Prime.

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When he returned home, it was already early morning of the next day. Tony, still in his armor, walked into his workshop, looking at the empty parking spot where the Audi R8 usually sat. Rodimus was still at Nevada base. Tony had promised not to start any new trials without supervision, without at least Hook keeping an optic on developments, and he would stick to his promise.

Too much depended on him. He wasn't alone. It wasn't about just him anymore.

"Jarvis?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, sir?"

"Lock down all the files concerning the space bridge for the time being. Send what I have to Hook and Scavenger for reviewing, then give me the specs on the armor."

Working on the armor was safe. The armor was him. It was something he had developed on his own without Cybertronian tech involved.

He sent his own armor back into subspace and pulled on a t-shirt and sweat pants.

"Very well, sir. May I say it is a wise decision."

Tony smiled grimly. "You may, but it isn't." He turned and walked over to his work station, sitting down heavily.

It wasn't wise, just… made sense. But Tony had rarely ever worked on something or had given up his research because it made sense. He had always listened to instinct. His instinct was clamoring for him to take up his trial runs again. But the logical side told him that if he made such a mistake again, it could very well be fatal. He wouldn't just kill himself, he would probably take at least one more life.

He couldn't work with that reminder.

So for the first time in his life, Tony Stark did the wise thing.

tbc... 


	6. Chapter 6

  
>::It's not forever, Tony:: Roddy said, voice strong and calm in his mind.<p>::Shouldn't you be somewhere in Nevada?:: he asked, not even turning around as the silver sports car almost noiselessly rolled into the garage.<p>

::Optimus and I finished up what we had to do. I believe my presence here is more important and needed::

Now Tony did look over. ::You sound like the hero of a bad romance novel. I don't need a hero, Roddy. I don't need a baby-sitter.::

::Just a friend::

Tony sighed. Right now, yes, he did.

"We'll find a solution," Roddy said out loud.

"There is no solution!" Tony spat. "This is permanent!"

The R8 rolled closer. "Tony?"

He blew out a breath. Right. Rodimus hadn't been there; the Primes had revealed this interesting little tidbit to him and him alone.

"We weren't alone while we…" he grimaced, "…shared this new bond."

Rodimus was silent.

"When you off-lined I was suddenly somewhere else. I had the dubious pleasure of talking to one of those dead, meddling sparks of your ancient Primes."

Roddy transformed abruptly, optics flaring. "What?" he blurted, startled.

Tony grimaced again. "Yeah. One of them deigned me worthy of his time and attention. Looks like Lennox might have pissed them off and they now turn to others to nag."

"Tony, what did you hear?" Roddy demanded, leaning forward.

He blew out a breath. "You're not going to like it. I didn't."

"Tony…"

"Apparently we are… connected."

It got him a questioning whir. "We knew that."

"Not the connection you were talking about. You're more than my anchor." He held up a hand. "And before you go on about sharing, that's not it. All completely non-sexual, okay?"

The mech smiled briefly. "I'm very much aware of that."

"Good." Tony ran a hand through his already tousled hair. "Good. The thing is…" He hesitated. "The thing is, they told me it's an infinite loop. Not just a connection that goes back and forth. It's circular." He made a vague gesture. "You pull energy from me, I from you."

"I never pulled any form of energy from you!" Roddy protested.

"No. And it's more like a rubber band effect. You can strain my arc reactor to the max and I can do the same with your spark, and as long as there's one of us, the other will always… recharge."

Silence descended and Tony almost heard the other Prime's mind running with the explanation.

"Tony…"

"Our lives are connected," Stark said, looking up into the concerned and rather startled face of his friend and guardian. "Our lives, Roddy! You're anchoring more than my jumps!"

"And you anchor me?"

He nodded, feeling that hard lump in his stomach again. Tony touched his arc reactor.

"That's why Extremis left me with the reactor. It needed more than my body as a power source because of the space bridge abilities, and… it needed a direct heir of the old Dynasty to make it happen. That's where you came in."

Roddy was silent, air vents hissing sharply.

"So it won't get better," Tony went on, rubbing over the casing under his shirt. "It went one step further ahead and made it worse. I made it worse."

"Tony, stop." A large finger touched the reactor. "You didn't do this. This was going to happen, sooner or later. It happened now."

"I've never had this much responsibility, this kind of over another life," Stark murmured.

"Neither did I," Rodimus added.

They looked at one another and Tony shivered. This changed so much. Actually… it changed everything."

"Well, you're stuck with me now," he tried for light-hearted. "For a long, long time."

"I can think of worse."

"Is that a come on?"

Rodimus grinned. "Only in your head, Tony."

"There's a lot in my head. Not all of it rated as a kid-friendly movie."

"I know that."

"You little perv, you." Tony chuckled, but the usual humor was missing. This was weighing on him. "Now what?" he finally asked, voice heavier.

"Now you'll get a handle on your jumps."

"Might take a while."

"You know how long it took Sam to master his technopathy as far as he has by now. We also don't know how the ancient mechs worked with space bridges. Maybe a second spark was needed."

"Doubt it." Tony walked over to his work station. "All of them were mechs. You guys should be able to do it without an additional donor."

This was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was life. He would work with it; he had worked with worse in the past. A second life depended on his own survival throughout a jump.

His mind started to fire up.

And… since Roddy was a direct descendant of the Dynasty, and the ancient ones had been able to use portals…

"Tony…" came the warning voice.

If he couldn't follow his original research, looking into that possibility was something new.

"Tony…!"

A grin formed on his lips, chasing away the dark thought for now. "You might have bridge circuits, my friend. You're a direct heir. Your systems are different, so somewhere in that body might be the key. It's a theory worth following."

"No, it isn't."

"You guys were able to jump way back when the ancients walked your planet, Roddy! You're a descendant of the Dynasty of Primes. A direct on!"

"Tony, no."

"And as such you have abilities that you haven't even begun to tap into. Come to think of it, so has Optimus."

Rodimus rolled his optics in a very human way. "I'm not going to jump."

"Because you have no idea how. But since I do and you are bonded to me…"

Tony's smirk was wide and knowing, his eyes sparkled, and it was clear he had deliberately used the word 'bonded'.

"We can work with that."

"No."

"Don't be a spoilsport, Roddy."

"Don't you have a company to run?"

"Not a problem. It's easy. I'll deep-scan your circuits, Hook and Ratchet can work out the rest…"

Roddy sighed.

Tony raised his hand as if swearing an oath. "In theory only. Everything. I swear. And I'll be a good little CEO and put my company first."

"Really," came the level reply.

"Cross my heart."

The mech regarded him long and hard, then shrugged. "If it makes you happy."

Tony's smile grew wider. It did. It gave him something else to think about. It gave him a purpose.

"That makes it official: we're married."

Rodimus leaned forward. "Don't you mean bonded?" he teased.

"That's your fantasy, dear." With a wink, Tony turned around and called, "Jarvis, fire up the scanners. Roddy agreed to strip for us."

"How exciting, sir."

The mech in question shook his head, smiling. He felt Tony's excitement through the connection with Extremis and he knew that this was the best possible way to keep working on this without having his friend obliterate himself.

Scientists were a single-minded bunch, he knew. They needed bodyguards and baby-sitters.

Tony more than most.

::I heard that!::

::It was meant for you::

And maybe, just maybe, it would answer a few questions about the ancient Primes as well.

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Optimus Prime stood outside the Nevada base, watching the night sky. A faint hue of purple was all that was left of the sunset and the first stars were already clearly visible in the cloudless sky. It promised to be a cold night.

Not that it mattered to him.

Rodimus Prime had sent him the condensed version of what Tony had told him and what the two of them had discussed for the last few days on and off throughout Rodimus' stay in LA. Tony was currently on his way to New York for a shareholder meeting, diligently upholding his promise to take care of his company first, while Rodimus was making his way to Nevada. He was taking the long way. He needed some time to think.

So did Optimus.

The other two human Primes were aware of the new changes and Sam had looked rather worried, as had Lennox, though he had hidden it better. Military training, Optimus supposed.

The Autobot leader had no idea how he felt about this inseparable life connection between Tony and Rodimus. It had its good sides, he mused. It was also a weakness. Then again, abilities always came with a weakness. None of them were invincible. None were without faults. Not even a Prime.

He felt a smile tug at him at the thought.

No, he had never been infallible. He had made too many mistakes and too many lives had been lost.

'We'll be fine,' Sam had insisted.

The words echoed through his processor.

Yes, somehow they would be fine. They had come this far and had survived.

The slight echo of what he recognized as Rodimus Prime approaching had him glance into the darkness. The R8 rolled closer, headlights off, sand and gravel crunching under his tires. He transformed and the two Primes looked at each other, a silent understanding between them. Optimus felt the connection, but he couldn't detect any changes. He didn't feel the bond to Tony. For a brief moment he had, had helped Rodimus pull the human Prime back from the brink. After that he had been as unaware of him as he was of the other human Primes.

"Welcome back," the Autobot leader greeted his friend.

Rodimus stood beside him, systems humming gently. "We'll be fine," he finally said, unconsciously echoing Sam's words.

Optimus hoped so. He really hoped so.

tbc... 


	7. Chapter 7

  
>New York was… New York. As was the business meeting. As to his promise, Tony had thrown himself into it, had been present one hundred percent, and he had finished two long days with a very successful note.<p>Now, sitting in his New York penthouse apartment, he gazed out over the magnificent skyline, glass of expensive liquid in one hand, his mind skimming along the edges of his memories. So much had changed and so much had changed him, within the blink of an eye. Nothing in the past years could compare to what had happened. It was tiny in regard to such life-threatening events like Extremis or Afghanistan before that, but humongous when it came to him and Rodimus. Despite what he had told his friend and guardian, the matter haunted him still. He put up a good front – was a master at it, actually – but the whole connection-thing was… a nightmare.<p>

"Mr. Stark? Tony?"

He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at Pepper, still all business-like, SI-Pad in hand.

"I thought I had told you to go home."

"I was worried."

"The meeting went well. Contracts have been signed. Stocks have risen. I think we can be pleased. As can be the shareholders."

Pepper walked over to him and sat down on the leather couch chair. Her face was serious.

"I'm not talking about the meeting."

"I won't forget my promises, Pepper. I'll be a good boy and be at the reception tomorrow and the gallery grand opening at night."

"Tony."

He looked away and drained his glass.

"Tony, I know a lot has happened to you, to us. This scares me, too. But it isn't about me. It's about you and Rodimus Prime."

He shot her a narrow-eyed look of warning.

"Maybe it's the best that could ever happen to you," Pepper went on as if she hadn't seen it.

"In what way, pray tell me?" he snapped. "What makes you think that this… this… link is good?"

"It means you're no longer alone. You will live a very long time, Tony. Longer than any human being ever could, aside from Sam and Will. They have a companion to share that long time. Rodimus shares your life with you now."

That stunned him into a brief silence and Tony got up abruptly, pacing over to the bar. He poured a generous amount of whiskey into his glass.

"Roddy and I aren't bonded," he finally ground out.

"A relationship doesn't necessarily revolve around sex."

He froze.

"A relationship means a lot more. It means companionship. I know you had your share of bed partners. Rodimus Prime doesn't have to be one of them."

"Miss Potts," Tony hissed a warning.

"He doesn't have to be," she repeated. "What you have it special." Pepper met his irate eyes calmly. "He knows you; there are really only a handful of people who can say that. He likes you; something not even the handful can always say. He protects you with his life." She raised her brows. "I think you can say the same about yourself. You share a connection. For humans it would be a very close relationship, a friendship deeper than the mere surface layers. You connect to him with Extremis, you share more than superficial emotions. I believe that sex is highly overrated and purely a human conception of a relationship."

Tony silently glared at her. Finally, "Ask Lennox and Witwicky."

Pepper rose. "You're neither of them. You and Rodimus have something uniquely you. It's nothing either culture knows or anyone has ever had before. I know it's good for you, Mr. Stark. Very, very good. Let it happen."

And with that she walked past him and out the door.

Tony collapsed half over the bar, fingers digging sharply into his scalp as he buried them in his hair. He screwed his eyes shut and felt his body shudder.

_Let it happen._

Pepper's words echoed in his head.

If he did, everything would be upended. Not necessarily in a bad way. It wasn't as if he had any serious relationships to speak off, aside from the other Primes. His best friends were mostly mechs and an opinionated AI. The humans he interacted with were a lot more than human, too. If he surrendered to what these meddling sparks had done, he would forever change his life.

Not that it wasn't changed already.

But this…

This was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He wouldn't be alone. He had a really long life to look forward to and he would share it with someone non-human. In a non-sexual way, part of him insisted.

Because Pepper was right.

Relationships weren't necessarily about the exchange of bodily fluids. And wasn't that a gross thought when it came to robotic life forms?

Tony almost laughed. It was a desperate snort.

He pushed the balls of his hands into his eyes.

Good god, what was he thinking about?

The best friendship he could think of. With a different set of benefits. Completely different in every way.

_Let it happen._

Whatever this was, whatever had been kicked lose, he wasn't able to fight it. Never would be.

_Let it happen._

Maybe the best advice ever.

_See where it takes you_, his mind added. This was so different, so new… so not such a relationship he had ever had. And so very real, like nothing before.

_Let it happen._

Tony lifted his head and gazed sightlessly at the night skyline. Lights in the darkness.

He smiled a little.

::Hey there, significant other:: he sent, opening up Extremis and linking unerringly right into Roddy's processor. ::How is my better half?::

Tony had to laugh as he caught the image of the mech almost driving into a ditch.

Gotcha!

::Tony?:: came the blurt.

::Yes, dear?::

Roddy's confusion was like a tidal wave and Tony laughed more. ::Are you all right?:: the mech asked, sounding worried.

::Never been better::

::Are you sure?::

::Very::

::Uh-huh. Have you been drinking?::

::As a matter of fact, yes. No buzz, no fun. Extremis is being a spoilsport::

::Tony…?::

::I'm letting it happen:: Tony announced.

::Come again?:: Now Roddy sounded very worried.

::I'm letting it happen. Pepper's advice::

::Do I have to be present for that?::

::Get your mind out of the gutter::

::I believe that's your place of habit::

::Low, Roddy, very low. Don't think about calling Pepper. I'm fine:: Tony headed off what he felt from the other Prime. ::I just had this epiphany.::

::Epiphany:: Roddy echoed, without making it a question.

::About us. You. Me. The whole shebang. Bonded, connected, linked, whatever. Just the two of us. Our own little private matter::

::Now I'm really worried and calling Pepper::

Tony sank into the leather couch and looked at the skyline, smiling. He felt suddenly calm and like something inside him was finally unknotting.

::We're in a relationship, Roddy. Not like ones I'm used to. Not that I had many. Actually, come to think of it, 'relationship' is too strong a word for what I had so far. One-night stands. Flings. Casual sex.:: Tony caught himself. ::No, I think this is a first. With you.::

::Actually, I'm not following::

::Sometimes I don't follow myself either::

::Why am I not surprised?::

::Oh, shush. Relationships:. Tony repeated, catching up on his previous thoughts again. ::Ours. You and me. Not like ones I can define. But we are. In a relationship. And this connection… it finalizes it. I'm fine with it.::

There was a long moment of silence, then Rodimus suddenly felt calmer, too. Like he was settling down.

::I went about this the wrong way:: Tony went on, playing with the almost empty glass. ::I went about it the human way. Gave me the freak-out. Then I imagined it the Cybertronian way. Didn't work either.::

::And now?:: came the careful question.

::Now I'm letting it happen, as to Miss Potts' advice. You and me. Whatever it is. Just don't expect flowers and candy and a free oil change::

Rodimus radiated amusement. ::You already gave me a new outfit. All those years ago::

::Good god, I knew it! We're married:: Tony blurted, grinning into the darkness.

The feeling inside him was spreading, like many, many knots untying. His sense of Roddy grew and it was like the other was standing right next to him. He felt the power of the millennia old spark and he felt his arc reactor connect with it. Seamlessly. Like it was supposed to be this way. He could almost see the band between them, a moebius strip that didn't start and didn't end anywhere.

Tony and closed his eyes. He wasn't alone; wouldn't be ever. It gave him a sense of peace.

Maybe the universe didn't hate him after all.

And while he still drew a line at having anything close to sex, he considered what he had right now a lot more satisfying.

Pepper had been right. Of course she had. He smirked.

Let it happen. It was good for him.

fin for this one! Took me long enough! 


End file.
